Over 68,000 Drug Traffickers Arrested In Punjab Anti-Drug Drive
Chandigarh, Jul 19 : Punjab Police’s three-pronged strategy of strict enforcement, community participation and preventive education has emerged as the hallmark of its flagship anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, officials said on Sunday.
Over the 500 days since its launch, the campaign has dealt significant blows to the narcotics trade while mobilising communities to play an active role in the fight against drugs, they said. Punjab’s Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the campaign has witnessed one of the most intensive crackdowns on drug traffickers in the state’s history through sustained enforcement, intelligence-led operations and community policing.
He said the sustained crackdown has resulted in record arrests, major drug seizures and the dismantling of organised trafficking networks.
“Ever since the campaign was launched on March 1, 2025, Punjab Police has registered 52,432 FIRs under the NDPS Act and apprehended more than 68,850 drug traffickers. Of these, 629 major traffickers, each found in possession of more than two kilograms of heroin, collectively worth around Rs 12 crore, have been arrested,” he said.
Complementing the enforcement drive, the state government has also provided 10,917 individuals with an opportunity to rebuild their lives by extending immunity from prosecution under Section 64A of the NDPS Act, enabling them to seek treatment and rehabilitation instead of punishment, an official statement said.
The provision grants immunity from prosecution to drug addicts who voluntarily undergo de-addiction treatment, allowing them to avoid the punishment otherwise prescribed under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Punjab Police has simultaneously targeted the financial backbone of drug cartels by attaching and confiscating properties acquired through the proceeds of the drug trade.
Additional DGP Nilabh Kishore, chief of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), said, “During the campaign, properties worth Rs 319 crore belonging to drug traffickers were attached or confiscated. Illegal structures raised on government land using proceeds from the drug trade have also been demolished. These actions send a strong message of Punjab Police’s zero-tolerance policy against drug traffickers and the illegal wealth generated through narcotics.”
Another part of the campaign has been growing public participation through the ‘Safe Punjab Anti-Drug Helpline’ (97791-00200).
The helpline has received 46,342 anonymous tip-offs, leading to the arrest of 22,960 drug traffickers. “With an 89 per cent conviction rate in NDPS cases, the highest in the country, the force attributes its success to high-quality investigations, improved evidence collection and close coordination with prosecution agencies,” DGP Yadav said.
The police force will continue to intensify its crackdown on organised drug syndicates, strengthen investigations to dismantle trafficking networks and further reinforce community policing by encouraging citizens to become active stakeholders in building a drug-free Punjab, DGP Yadav said.
Apart from sustained enforcement, Punjab Police is also working in close coordination with over 24,000 Village Defence Committees, comprising more than 1.25 lakh members, which report suspicious activities and support intelligence gathering at the village level.
Additionally, awareness drives, sports events, interactive youth programmes and public meetings are being organised across the state in collaboration with educational institutions, civil society organisations and community leaders to build community resilience against substance abuse.
